In Darkness We Shall Fight
by Haleykim
Summary: Shiro and Keith are on a stealth mission that goes wrong. With no back-up and Keith injured, they struggle to get out alive.


**A/N:** **This fic was prompted to me by the wonderful Black Friar as part of a birthday fic exchange.**

 **A very special thank you to Rangergirl3 for her feedback and enthusiasm, and to Black Friar for the incredibly fast beta!**

* * *

Keith wakes feeling like someone stabbed hot knives into his eyes. His whole face hurts and there's a horribly uncomfortable sensation in his stomach. He tries to take a deep breath to battle the nausea, but making his chest expand sends a ripple of pain down his ribs and his side feels like it's on fire. There's a weird buzzing sound in his ears and Keith scrambles to try and make sense of what's going on.

The air smells like smoke and ash, making his lungs seize up. He coughs, but the pain it causes his ribs leaves him gasping. He clenches his fists and tries to ride it out, struggling to get his breathing under control. When he finally does, the buzzing sound he's been hearing crystallizes into a voice. "-eith!"

Shiro?

Keith opens his eyes to darkness, and startles when a pair of hands lands on his shoulders.

"Keith! Keith, can you hear me?"

It's too dark to actually make anything out, but Shiro sounds like he's hovering over him.

"Shiro," Keith croaks, and he can't suppress another cough, wincing when his ribs seize up again. His eyes sting like crazy and he blinks rapidly to get rid of the tears that keep welling up. "Yeah, I- what's going on?"

"There was an explosion," Shiro says.

Alarmed, Keith immediately struggles to sit up, but the pain in his side flares and he can't quite bite back a cry.

"Keith!" Shiro's hands immediately move to support him. "Easy, you're hurt. There's some shrapnel stuck in your side."

Shrapnel in his-? His breath hitches and he reflexively looks at the damage, but it's still too dark. Keith swallows and takes a moment to fight back the nausea. "How- how bad is it?"

Shiro hesitates. "I don't know. It's not bleeding much right now, so you should be fine once we get you back to the castle."

Shiro doesn't mention internal injuries, but he doesn't have to. Keith knows it's likely the shrapnel's damaged _something_ inside of him and he knows he's on the clock. He swallows again, then squints, trying to make out Shiro in the dark. "Are _you_ all right?"

"I've got a bump on the head, but other than that I'm fine," Shiro replies. "You took the brunt of the blast."

Keith nods, relieved that at least Shiro's okay. He looks around, trying to take his mind off the agony radiating from his side. "So…are we trapped or something? Is that why it's so dark?"

Keith feels Shiro freeze, and he tenses. "What? What's wrong?"

Shiro's silent a moment longer. "Keith…it's- it's not dark."

Keith's mouth goes dry. "What?"

"I mean," Shiro starts, pauses, takes a breath. "I guess it is pretty dark, but…there's still enough light to see by."

 _Oh._

 _Oh god._

 _I'm blind?_

The thought is almost enough to push Keith over the edge into a dark cesspool of panic and despair, because if he's blind he can't fight, he can't _fly_ , he can't be a Paladin of Voltron anymore and then… then he'd be useless, excess baggage and-

He clenches his jaw and swallows down the bile in his throat.

No. _NO_. The cryopods can fix this. Can fix _him_.

He raises a trembling hand to his face, trying to assess the damage, but Shiro intercepts and gently pushes his hand back down.

"Keith, it's gonna be okay," Shiro says, and Keith can _hear_ the reassuring smile Shiro's trying to give him. He only flinches a little when Shiro's palm cups his cheek. "I'm gonna get you back to the castle, and then everything's going to be fine."

Keith balls his fists and tries to take a calming breath, wincing when pain dances across his ribs and side again. Blind or not, they need to get out of here and he'll be damned if he'll let Shiro do all the work.

"Catch me up," Keith grits out, aggressively pushing the panic away. He pulls his legs under him and Shiro helps him to his feet. Keith bites the inside of his lips to keep from crying out when the hot pain in his side flares up. Shiro doesn't let go of Keith's arms even after he catches his breath and assures Shiro that he's okay. Instead, Shiro eases Keith's arm across his shoulders and wraps his own around Keith's back. The action pulls on Keith's ribs and his head is spinning, but at least he's not in danger of falling over.

"What do you remember?" Shiro asks.

Keith frowns as he casts his mind back. "Uh. We were supposed to gather intel on an alien race rumored to be Galra allies? The…uh…Morva-somethings?"

"The Morkovians," Shiro corrects with a chuckle. "Close enough."

Keith's frown deepens. "But…wasn't it supposed to be a stealth mission?" If there's been an explosion then that pretty much means their cover is blown. Literally.

"Yeah, that's why we kind of need to start moving," Shiro says.

The words have barely left Shiro's mouth when Keith hears shouts in the distance, followed by pounding footfalls.

"Shiro?" Keith hisses.

"I know, I hear it too," Shiro says, and gets them moving. Keith's leg buckles on the first step when he tries to put weight on his injured side. Shiro shores him up without missing a beat. "Lean on me," he says. "Just put one foot in front of the other – that's it."

The pain is excruciating and it's all Keith can do to hang on to Shiro. He tries to help, to take some of his own weight, but Shiro's practically dragging him along. It doesn't help that Keith can't see where they're going, can't see what's coming.

"Where-?" is all he manages to get out in-between ragged breaths.

Shiro understands. "We're getting out of this bunker and then we have to make it to higher ground so Pidge can pick us up."

Right. They're in a bunker, underground. Pidge had dropped them off and is waiting somewhere outside in the Green Lion, cloaked, but their comm signals are practically dead this far below ground. They need to get outside for them to be able to reach her. Down here, they're on their own.

The sounds behind them grow louder – growls and snarls and shouts – and Keith is acutely reminded of the fact that the Morkovians are part-canine and can run on four legs to increase their speed. They can outrun him and Shiro easily.

Shiro seems to come to the same conclusion, abruptly changing direction and leaning Keith with his back against a wall. Keith immediately moves his arms around, patting his hands along the walls, trying to get an idea of where they are. It feels like they're hiding in a small alcove.

He starts when Shiro grabs his wrist and then presses something into his hand. It's his bayard. He feels Shiro unsheathe his Marmora blade from his back before the handle is pressed into his other hand.

"Keith, I need you to stay here," Shiro tells him.

A sense of foreboding stirs in Keith's gut. "What? No, what are you-?"

"We can't outrun them," Shiro says, voice grim. "I'm going to fight them off."

"What? No!" Keith doesn't know how many Morkovians are after them, but he suspects that there are more than even Shiro can handle on his own.

"Keith, you're hurt and you're blind," Shiro says, and hearing the blunt truth feels like a slap in his face.

Keith grits his teeth. "I can still fight!"

"Maybe. But I can't fight them if I have to look out for you too. Keith, please, stay here."

Keith scowls, feeling utterly useless. "Then why did you just hand me my weapons if you don't want me to fight?"

"So you can protect yourself if any of them get past me."

The noise in the corridor grows louder. The Morkovians are close.

"Shiro-"

"Keith, there's no time. Stay here okay?" Shiro gives Keith's shoulder a brief squeeze before Keith hears Shiro's prosthetic fire up, and then he's gone.

"Damn it!" Keith slams the back of his fist against the wall he's still leaning against. He curses himself for getting hurt – Shiro needs someone to watch his back!

Keith knows the second Shiro engages the Morkovians in battle. There are shouts and answering roars and then all hell breaks loose. The sounds of battle are close – it almost seems like it's taking place right around the corner. Keith closes his burning eyes and focuses on the noises, trying to figure out how many enemies they're dealing with. He can discern the hum and whir of Shiro's prosthetic, the clash of weapons, the thumps and screams of injured and fallen Morkovians, but there's too much grunting and snapping and snarling to make sense of the number of Morkovians Shiro's still fighting. All he knows is that there are too many for Shiro to handle alone.

Fear and anger surge in his veins, causing his adrenaline levels to spike.

Keith takes a deep breath. His ribs and side are throbbing and pain pulses down his leg, but he pushes it down and concentrates, trying to visualize the battle in his mind. He locates Shiro easily – footsteps much lighter than the others, quiet grunts, the sizzle of his Galra prosthetic as it slashes through flesh and fur – then he zeroes in on the Morkovians and manages to identify at least eight different soldiers.

Keith tightens his grip on his weapons. Shiro's strong and has taken down opponents three times his strength and size, but the Morkovians are both physically imposing _and_ have strength in numbers. Shiro will never be able to take down all of them.

Keith isn't prepared to lose Shiro.

 _Patience yields focus._

He takes another deep breath and tries to picture the Morkovians that are closest to his own location. When he hears Shiro cry out in pain, Keith doesn't hesitate. He pushes away from the wall of his alcove, darts around the corner and lashes out at where he estimates the nearest Morkovian to be, praying there isn't anything on the floor that could trip him up.

He feels his bayard slice clean through something with barely any resistance, followed by a howl of pain and a wet gurgle, and he doesn't have to be able to see to know what that means.

One down.

He senses more than hears another presence behind him, heavy footsteps closing in fast, and Keith ducks, pivots and swings his Blade up. He misses, but immediately stabs his bayard sideways and feels it embed itself deep into soft tissue. There's a gurgling scream, and although Keith has no idea where he's struck the creature, he knows it's another one down.

He closes his eyes and lets his instincts take over. His body's already starting to flag and Keith knows he won't last long. But if he can draw at least some of them away from Shiro, if he can even the odds just a little, it'll be worth it.

Keith manages to take down two more Morkovians before his luck runs out. He trips over something on the floor and crashes to the ground, his bayard slipping from his fingers. A scream rips from his throat before he can stop it and he tries to curl up into a ball to ride out the agony shuddering through him, but then something's on top of him. Something big and heavy and _angry_ , pushing him onto his back, and Keith knows he's in trouble.

He's still trying to catch his breath when the Morkovian snarls in his face and Keith feels spittle land on his cheeks. His assailant growls something in a language Keith doesn't understand and suddenly he's choking on pain, his injured side burning, _burning_ , and he realizes – the creature is shoving the piece of shrapnel further inside of him!

Keith realizes belatedly he still has a hold on his Blade, and desperately tries to stab his assailant with it. But his wrist is caught in a steel grip and before he can pull it free, the Morkovian snaps his hand backwards and Keith screams as the bone shatters. His Blade clatters to the floor, but the Morkovian continues to squeeze his broken wrist.

The pain that's tearing through him steals his breath, and Keith coughs and gags and then suddenly there's a crushing pressure on his throat and he's choking. He can't breathe. _He can't breathe!_

He slams his knee up, fear and panic surging inside of him, but the Morkovian only increases the pressure on his throat and Keith _knows_.

This is it.

His strength is leaving him. He claws at the Morkovian with his good hand, but he grows weaker. His head feels like it's going to explode, his eyes are about to pop, and all he can think of is Shiro. Hoping he's alive. Hoping he makes it out. Hoping-

The pressure on his throat and the weight on his chest are gone suddenly. Keith sucks in air and instantly chokes on it, coughing and sputtering and- _god, it_ _hurts!_

He tries to curl around the pain, but moving only brings him a fresh wave of agony.

"Keith! _Keith!_ "

Something touches his cheek, and he jerks. But it's a careful, gentle touch and his panic recedes slightly.

"Keith! Keith, are you okay? Talk to me, c'mon, Keith!"

He's gasping, trying desperately to _breathe_ , but he can't stop coughing and it's _agony_ and-

"It's okay, it's okay. I've got you, Keith, I've got you."

Hands slide under his shoulders and he's slowly raised into a sitting position. He cries out because it hurts _like hell_ , but sitting up does make breathing easier and after a minute the coughing finally subsides a little.

"Keith! Keith, hey, can you hear me?" Shiro asks from behind him, and Keith realizes he's leaning back against Shiro. "Are you with me?"

There's wetness on his cheeks and blood in his mouth. When he swallows it feels like someone's set his throat on fire.

But he still manages to dredge up a weak smile. "Sh-Shiro," he rasps, wincing at how much just saying the name hurts. "Y-you m-made it."

"Thanks to you," Shiro replies, voice slightly unsteady. "Keith…"

Shiro doesn't have to say anything. Keith knows he's in bad shape.

"S'okay. Kn-know it's- bad," Keith croaks, trying to suppress a cough. He can't _breathe_ right. "Y-you should. Go."

Shiro's arm tightens around him. "I'm not leaving you here," Shiro says, and he sounds angry suddenly. Keith wishes he could see his face.

"Sh-Shiro, I-I _can't_ -"

"I've never known Keith Kogane to give up."

Keith scowls. "Not- not giving up," he whispers, and he's starting to slur his words. "But…s-slow you…down."

"You won't slow me down."

"Shiro-"

"Keith, no. I'm taking you to the castle and you're gonna be fine."

Keith lacks the strength to protest any further.

"I'm gonna help you up, okay?" Shiro says. "It's gonna hurt, but you can do it. I know you can." His gloved hand brushes Keith's forehead, and his voice softens a little. "Keith, you ready?"

Keith grits his teeth and nods.

He's not ready.

The minute Shiro drags Keith's good arm across his shoulders and starts pulling him up, agony surges, setting his nerve-endings on fire, and Keith's choking on pain again. Shiro's talking to him, but he can't make out the words over the rush of blood in his ears and the sound of his own strangled gasps.

His whole body is on _fire_.

But he makes it to his feet, and Shiro gives him a few seconds to catch his breath.

"Keith," Shiro says, and this time Keith hears him. "Keith, I can carry you if it hurts too much."

Despite everything, Keith manages a frown. "N-no, I- I can walk." He's enough of a burden to Shiro as it is. The least he can do is to try and pull his own weight.

But then they take a step and when his foot comes down it's like he's been struck by lightning. His body seizes up, his brain short-circuits and lights flash across his closed eyelids. He thinks he hears someone call his name, before he's dragged into darkness.

oOo

Shiro tightens his hold on Keith just in time to stop him from crashing to the ground.

"Keith!"

Keith's sudden dead weight almost drags him off-balance, but Shiro plants his feet and carefully lowers him to the floor. He throws a quick look over his shoulder to make sure Morkovian reinforcements haven't arrived yet, before kneeling next to Keith and giving him a quick once-over. Shiro's wrist guard and computer are damaged; he'll have to rely on what he can see instead of medical scans.

"Keith! Keith, can you hear me?"

Keith doesn't respond, but Shiro doesn't really expect him to. The white of Keith's paladin armor is stained red, blood from the wound in his side smeared all over. The injury is bleeding steadily, the piece of shrapnel almost completely buried within him now. Underneath the bruises, burns and cuts scattered across Keith's face, his skin is so pale it's frightening.

Shiro clenches his teeth, furious with himself for letting this happen. The sight of the Morkovian soldier strangling Keith is still flashing in his brain, and the sound of Keith's ragged scream when the Morkovian snapped his wrist is something he's sure he'll never forget.

There's blood on Keith's lips. Shiro doesn't know if it's because he's bitten his tongue or if he's coughed it up. His breathing's shallow and uneven. The thought of the shrapnel damaging or piercing a lung makes Shiro's hands tremble.

A faint clatter reaches his ears and he snaps his head up. They're out of time. He has to get Keith out of here. He has to save him. Like Keith's saved _him_ countless times.

Muttering apologies to Keith, Shiro scoops him up and _runs_.

Keith doesn't wake up, but he makes a sound deep in his throat, and Shiro knows he's hurting him. He's tucked Keith's broken arm against his chest for stability and Shiro tries not to jostle him too much, but it's almost impossible.

He nears a corner and skids to a halt, carefully checking if the coast's clear, and swears under his breath when he sees a large number of Morkovians, all armed to the teeth, covering the hallway that Shiro knows leads to the exit. He lowers Keith to the floor again, keeping an arm around his shoulders for support, and desperately tries to activate his damaged wrist computer. It takes several attempts, but finally the small holoscreen flickers on and Shiro quickly pulls up the blueprints Pidge downloaded to their wrist computers before they left on their mission. He needs to find an alternative escape route.

His heart sinks when he doesn't see one – there are two ways in and out of the bunker; one is being heavily guarded and the other is blocked by the debris of the explosion he and Keith got caught in.

But then his eyes light on the ventilation system. He traces the various ventilation shafts and hope sparks in his chest when he discovers there's one that leads outside, and it's close to their position. He has no idea how big the shafts are, but he's desperate and if it's their only way out, Shiro'll make it work somehow.

He gathers Keith up in his arms again, ignoring the throbbing of his own bruised ribs, and takes off. The opening to the shaft is hidden behind a covered grate, and it takes Shiro a few precious seconds to locate it, but once he does he wastes no time getting it open. He carefully lowers Keith to the floor again before activating his Galra arm and ripping the grate off the wall. The opening is at shoulder height and just about big enough for Shiro to fit through without having to bend himself in half. When he doesn't spot any obvious booby traps, he quickly turns back to Keith, lifts him up and pushes him into the shaft as gently as he can. He swallows when he hears Keith whimper – he knows how much Keith must be hurting if he can feel the pain even when he's unconscious.

When he's got Keith inside, Shiro pulls himself up after him, carefully replacing the grate behind them. The lights in his helmet turn on automatically, illuminating the rest of the shaft. His stomach drops like a stone when he realizes the shaft doesn't seem to lead anywhere.

It's a dead end.

No! How could the blueprints be wrong?

But then there's a grating noise and out of nowhere, a set of steps appear on the wall, like a ladder. Shiro stares, mouth going dry. How the hell is he going to get Keith up that ladder without killing him?

Shiro bows his head and clenches his fists. He has no choice. It's the only way out.

He glances down at Keith and feels his heart skip several beats when he realizes Keith's eyes are open.

"Keith?" Shiro quickly shuffles forward on his knees and places a hand on Keith's shoulder. "Can you hear me? Keith?"

Keith's eyes, half-open and unfocused, slide towards him and for a moment Shiro thinks his eyesight has returned – but then he notices Keith's not actually looking _at_ him, but an inch or so to his left and he tries not to let it unnerve him.

God, how is he going to get Keith up that damn ladder now that he's _awake_?

Keith's lips are moving, but whatever he's trying to say gets stuck in his throat.

"It's okay, Keith," Shiro tries to reassure him. "Take it easy. Do you remember where you are? Do you know what happened?"

Keith nods. His breathing sounds awful, wheezing.

"Okay, good," Shiro says, trying to keep his own fear for Keith out of his voice. "We're in the ventilation system right now. I'm getting you out, okay? We're getting out."

Keith frowns. "Y-you…" he croaks, then licks his lips and tries again. "You're w-worried."

"I'm not worried. Everything's fine."

Keith's frown deepens. "Shiro."

Shiro sighs and shakes his head. Even blind and at death's door, Keith can read him like a roadmap.

He smoothes Keith's bangs from his forehead. "Okay. We have to go up this ladder, which means I'm going to have to put you over my shoulder but- Keith…" He can't bring himself to finish the sentence.

Keith's expression slides from confusion to understanding. He moves his good hand around until he's found Shiro's knee and gives it an awkward pat. He clears his throat. Winces. "I'll m-make it."

"Keith, you're-"

"I'll make it," Keith repeats. His voice doesn't sound any stronger, but determination and conviction are etched in his face now, along with the pain.

With obvious difficulty, Keith lifts his good hand and reaches out. Shiro clasps it. "You better," Shiro says. "Or Red'll kill me."

Keith huffs a laugh. It's weak and it costs him, but it makes Shiro's shoulders feel just a little lighter.

"Okay, Keith, you ready?"

Keith stiffens, clearly preparing himself for the pain that's coming, but nods.

Shiro takes a deep breath before maneuvering himself behind Keith and getting his hands under Keith's armpits. He drags Keith towards the ladder, and once he's able to stand up straight, he bends forward and folds Keith over his shoulder in one fluid motion before straightening again.

Keith cries out, but Shiro doesn't stop, doesn't even pause. There's no way he can make this easier on Keith; he just needs to get this over with as quickly as possible. Keith is whimpering and gasping and Shiro's heart aches for him, but he doesn't falter. He races up the latter and navigates the ventilation system as fast he can. At some point Keith stops responding and making pained noises, and ice-cold fear pumps through Shiro's veins, but he can't afford to stop now. Not when they're SO CLOSE.

They reach the end of the tunnels and Shiro wastes no time punching a hole through the access panel. He's not a religious man – not after everything he's seen – but he prays there are no Morkovians waiting for them.

A quick look around tells him they haven't been made yet; he hears shouts and growls close by, but the grounds directly below them are empty and quiet. Shiro knows it won't stay that way for long. Every fiber of his being wants to check on Keith, wants to make sure he's still alive, but he needs to move fast. Being part-canine, the Morkovians have an excellent sense of smell and once they catch a whiff of their scent they'll be on them.

Shiro switches off the lights on his helmet, a watery blue moon providing just enough light to see by. They're a few feet off the ground and Shiro gathers Keith in his arms before dropping down from the ventilation shaft, engaging his jet pack to soften their landing.

Shiro hits the ground running, heading towards the giant, mushroom-shaped trees surrounding the bunker. As soon as he's reached the cover of the trees, he tries his comm.

"Pidge! Pidge, come in!"

There's nothing but static on the other end. Shiro's not surprised – the bunker emits some kind of signal that messes with the Lion's communications. They have to get to higher ground. Without breaking his stride, he heads for the hills.

He glances down at Keith in his arms and immediately regrets it as the sight almost makes him stumble. Keith's skin is gray and his lips have taken on a bluish hue – Shiro doesn't know if it's just the light of the blue moon that's making Keith look like he's already dead or if he's really-

Shiro savagely cuts off that train of thought.

Then he hears howls behind him and he knows the Morkovians are on to them. He puts on a burst of speed, tightening his hold on Keith but trying not to squeeze him at the same time.

"Pidge, do you read?" Shiro tries again desperately.

"Sh-o? Wh- ar- Shiro!"

Shiro's heart lurches. "Pidge! Pidge, we need immediate extraction!"

"Trying- signal!"

Shiro swears, pumping his legs faster up the hill. "Pidge! Pidge, repeat!"

"Shiro! Do you read?"

Hope soars. "Pidge, I read you! We need immediate extraction!"

"Shiro, I've just locked onto your signals! Sending you coordinates to the pick-up point now! Hang on, I'm coming!"

A map pops up on his visor, and he immediately adjusts course. They're close.

But so are the Morkovians.

He can hear them. Howling, snarling, their paws tearing up the dirt behind them. And there are a lot of them. He can hear their massive jaws snapping.

His lungs are burning, his ribs ache and his head is pounding, but he pushes himself for just a little more speed. They're almost there. Almost!

They burst into the designated clearing and Shiro immediately looks up, expecting to see the Green Lion hovering nearby, but all he sees are stars and dark, purple clouds and he skids to a halt, heart seizing with near-panic.

"Pidge!"

"Almost there, Shiro! Just a few more ticks!"

They don't have a few more ticks.

When Shiro turns around, he's just in time to see the first Morkovian burst from the trees. It's big and hairy and reminds Shiro of a werewolf. It's coming straight at them.

Shiro dives aside, curling his body around Keith as they crash to the ground. The impact rattles Shiro, but he immediately shoots to his feet, activating his Galra arm, and moves to stand in front of Keith. The Morkovian growls and launches itself at them once more, but Shiro stands his ground.

Purple light flashes in the dark, followed by a piercing howl, and Shiro shoves the Morkovian aside, preparing to take on whoever comes at them next.

Morkovians are flooding the clearing now and things are starting to look dire. There are too many of them.

But then the wind picks up suddenly and Shiro knows.

The Green Lion has arrived.

He watches the Morkovians' yellow eyes grow wide as the Green Lion decloaks and lets out a terrifying roar as it hovers over Keith and Shiro protectively. It's enough for the Morkovians to turn tail and run.

As Pidge sets down Green and lowers the ramp, Shiro turns back to Keith and immediately gathers him up. "Go, Pidge!" he yells into the comms the second they're inside.

He waits till they're in the air before he puts Keith down on the floor very, very gently. Shiro yanks off his glove and kneels beside Keith, pressing trembling fingers to Keith's throat. It takes a few seconds, but eventually he feels a weak throb against his fingertips. Shiro releases a breath and closes his eyes, trying to regain his composure.

"Shiro!" Pidge yells over the comms. "Shiro, are you guys okay?"

Shiro shakes himself and opens his eyes. "Pidge, I'm okay, but Keith's in bad shape."

There's a second of silence before Pidge's voice comes back, quiet. "How bad is it?"

"Pretty bad," Shiro admits. He sets his jaw. "But he's going to make it." He doesn't dare leave Keith to get the medkit from the cockpit, so he tries to make him as comfortable as possible before pressing down on the wound in Keith's side.

Keith's breath catches in his throat and he whimpers, but doesn't wake.

Shiro finds himself muttering reassurances to him anyway. "I've got you, Keith. You're gonna be fine. Pidge'll get us to the castle in no time and then everything will be fine. Okay, buddy? Just hang in there, Keith. Hold on just a little longer."

Keith's fighting. Shiro can tell by the sound of his breaths. They're labored, wheezing gasps, like Keith's trying to draw in air through a straw that's pinched closed. As much as the sound hurts Shiro, it reassures him. It means Keith's not giving up. Not yet.

Shiro maintains the pressure on Keith's wound and waits, helpless.

And then all of a sudden, the wheezing stops.

The blood drains from Shiro's face. No. _No!_

Keith's chest is shuddering and jerking, like his lungs are still trying to expand but there just isn't any air.

"Pidge!" Shiro yells, voice on the edge of panic as he rips Keith's chest plate off. "Pidge, how long?"

"ETA two minutes! What? What's going on?"

Shiro forgets to answer as he runs his hands over Keith's ribs and feels some give on the bottom right side, near the shrapnel wound. Keith makes a strangled sound and Shiro immediately snatches his hands back for fear of making things worse. Instead, he reaches up and tilts Keith's head back carefully. Keith's lips are starting to turn blue, and Shiro leans forward to breathe for him. He can feel the resistance as he exhales into Keith's mouth, like the air's being blocked somehow. Keith's chest inflates only marginally, but it's _something_ so Shiro breathes for him again.

He doesn't know how long he keeps it up. Sweat is rolling down his back and his head is starting to spin, but he refuses to stop. Dimly, he hears Pidge radio ahead to the castle, telling Coran to prepare a pod.

"Shiro! Shiro, we're here!" Pidge finally shouts, and Shiro feels the light shudder as the Green Lion lands.

As Green's jaw opens, Shiro moves to gather Keith up again, but a wave of dizziness hits and he stumbles sideways. He takes a deep breath and rights himself, blinking rapidly to chase away the light-headedness. He grits his teeth, preparing to lift Keith again, but then Hunk and Lance are charging up the ramp.

To their credit, they only stop to stare for a second before they spring into action.

Hunk crouches next to Keith and picks him up like he weighs nothing, but holds him like he's made of glass.

"Careful," Shiro feels the need to say anyway, surprised at how breathless he sounds. "His arm's broken and he's got shrapnel in his side."

Hunk nods and takes off. Shiro makes to follow, but he still feels woozy, and then Lance slips under his arm.

"Lean on me," he says, "you look like you're about to fall over."

Shiro gives him a weak smile, grateful. Lance returns it, but Shiro can see the fear in his eyes. Fear for Keith.

Pidge joins them a few seconds later, pulling Shiro's other arm over her shoulders. She's far too short to be able to give him any actual, physical support, but Shiro appreciates the gesture. Now that the adrenaline is leaving his system, his own injuries are starting to make themselves known.

"What happened out there?" Lance asks.

"I'm not sure," Shiro admits. "I think we set off some kind of failsafe, or maybe it was a trap. We got caught in an explosion. Keith took the brunt of it."

It's not the full story, of course, but there'll be time to tell them that later. First they have to make sure Keith lives.

By the time they make it to the infirmary, Keith's already suspended in a pod, and Shiro breathes a sigh of relief. Until he sees what's on one of the examination tables. A bloody piece of metal glistens a dark red in a puddle of equally dark liquid. It's long and ragged and it seems impossible that Keith could have survived for so long with that thing inside of him.

Lance stares at it. "Wait, is that-? That's not- was that _inside_ him?"

Hunk nods, looking green around the edges, eyes bright.

Coran, standing beside him, looks almost white, and Shiro realizes he must have been the one to pull the shrapnel out.

"God…" Lance breathes. "Will he be okay?"

"He wasn't breathing when he went into the pod, but we're hopeful Pidge and Shiro got him back in time," Coran says somberly.

They all stare at Keith for a moment.

Allura, finally, breaks the spell. "Shiro, are you alright?" she asks.

Shiro nods, despite the fact that he's exhausted and every inch of his body's aching. The others insist he goes into a pod. Too tired to argue, he goes.

When he comes out several hours later, the other paladins are waiting for him. Keith is still in his pod. He looks better though, and Coran assures him Keith'll pull through. His knees go weak with relief, and Hunk takes it as a sign that he needs to be fed.

They drag him to the kitchen, even though Shiro really just kind of wants to stay with Keith and wait for him to be released from the pod, but Coran informs him that Keith won't be out for another ten vargas at least.

While he eats, Shiro gives them a brief rundown of what happened. He tells them about how they'd been so close to acquiring the information they needed when the explosion occurred, how Keith had been blinded and badly injured, but had still managed to take down several Morkovians to help Shiro, how they'd finally made it out through the ventilation system.

He doesn't tell them how terrified he'd been of losing Keith.

The Team and Allura urge him to get some rest and he does – or tries to. He's too keyed up to manage proper sleep, and several hours later he finds himself standing in front of Keith's pod again. Keith still looks very pale, but the bruises and burns on his face have healed and his lips have regained their normal color.

Shiro doesn't know how long he's been standing there, lost in thought, when he hears footsteps behind him.

"Hey," Lance says, jaw popping open in a yawn. He's wearing his blue, Altean pajamas and robe. "You been here long?"

Shiro shrugs. "Possibly." He eyes the pillow and blanket Lance has clutched in his hands. "Planning a sleepover?"

Lance rubs the back of his neck as he stands beside Shiro. "Just couldn't sleep, I guess." He looks up at Keith. "How's he doing?"

"Better."

More footsteps approach, and they turn to see Hunk and Pidge enter the room, both in their pajamas and dragging their bedding behind them. They pause when they see Lance and Shiro.

"Oh," Hunk says. "You guys couldn't sleep either, huh?"

"Nope," Lance replies with a shrug.

They sit down in a circle, Lance running out to grab a deck of cards from his room, and while away the time as best they can.

Every so often, Shiro throws a glance over his shoulder at Keith, hoping to see a sign that the healing cycle's almost finished. But Keith remains pale and frozen.

Until eventually there's a soft hiss, and Shiro's on his feet and up the steps in a second, just in time to catch Keith as he pitches forward.

"Keith," Shiro says when he feels Keith stiffen in his arms. "Hey, it's alright. It's me, it's Shiro."

Keith relaxes almost instantly, before he pulls back and looks up at him. Shiro feels a shiver of apprehension when Keith's eyes seem unfocused – oh god, what if he's still blind? But then Keith blinks and meets his gaze, and Shiro smiles with relief.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asks.

"Fine," Keith replies, voice rough. He clears his throat. "Little tired." Movement behind Shiro catches his attention and he pulls away completely, standing on his own, when he seems to realize they're not alone.

"Keith, _buddy_!" Hunk exclaims before throwing his arms around Keith. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Keith _oofs_ and then pats him on the back awkwardly. "Thanks, Hunk."

"Hunk! Stop hogging him," Pidge says, elbowing Hunk in the side until he lets go of Keith and makes room for Pidge. Pidge's small arms wrap around Keith's waist. "Don't scare us like that again, okay?" she mutters into his stomach.

Keith shoots Shiro a half-panicked look as if he's afraid she's about to start crying, before he gives her an awkward pat on the head. "Sorry," he says. "I'll try not to."

To Keith's obvious relief, Lance doesn't hug him, but just gives his shoulder a squeeze and tells him to be more careful next time, "or I'll have to kick your butt".

Keith snorts and opens his mouth, when something seems to catch his eye.

"Uh…why are you all wearing pajamas?" Then he looks at the pillows and blankets scattered across the floor. "Were you having a sleepover or something?"

"Yeah, 'cos we were worried about you, man!" Hunk says. "It was just- you know. Kinda hard to sleep without having nightmares about you dying and stuff."

Keith's eyes widen, and some color creeps up his neck. "Oh," he says. "Sorry. I'm okay now though." He gives them a small smile, clearly trying to reassure them.

Shiro steps forward and puts a hand on Keith's shoulder. "Now that we know Keith's okay, I think it's time we all got some sleep."

They gather their things and head off to their respective rooms, but Shiro stays at Keith's side, just in case.

Keith yawns. "You don't have to escort me to my room, Shiro. I'm really okay."

"Humor me," Shiro replies. "We almost lost you today."

"But you didn't." Keith looks at him. "Told you I'd make it."

Shiro pauses, and Keith stops beside him. "You remember that?"

Keith nods.

"You almost didn't though," Shiro says quietly, and he's finding it difficult to meet Keith's gaze.

Then he feels Keith's hand on his shoulder.

"But I did make it. Thanks to you," Keith says with a small smile. "I knew you would get us out."

Shiro looks up, eyes widening in surprise. "I'm glad you had enough faith for the both of us."

"I always have faith in you, Shiro," Keith says.

Shiro pulls him into a tight hug, resting his cheek on top of Keith's head for a moment. Keith's dark hair tickles his nose, but he doesn't pull back until he's managed to regain his composure. They share a smile before they continue to Keith's room.

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Shiro asks when they reach Keith's door.

Keith rolls his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure." He yawns. "Just need to get some sleep. And so do you," he adds, giving Shiro a pointed look.

Shiro raises his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Just- call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I will," Keith replies, giving him a soft smile. "Thanks."

When Shiro lies in bed a few minutes later, he finds sleep comes much easier now that he's sure Keith's alright.

He drops off almost as soon as his head touches the pillow.

\- End -


End file.
